Kamenetz Tours Essex Precinct

Baltimore County Police Department Chief Jim Johnson took County Executive Kevin Kamenetz on a trip down memory lane during a tour of the Essex Precinct Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson, a 1976 graduate, served as an officer in Essex from 1978 to 1985 and as precinct captain between 1990 and 2000. The chief offered his unique perspective to Kamanetz, who toured several county police and fire stations this week.

“This tour offers County Executive Kamenetz a hands-on opportunity to physically see the shape of the buildings and speak with the officers and the commanders in a personal setting,” Johnson said.

As part of the tour of the Essex Precinct, Kamenetz spoke with officers and explored the nearly 40-year-old facility, which includes an annex building where detectives are stationed and a weight room in the basement, which at one time served as an indoor shooting range.

Kamenetz said the tour offered him a sense of what his future priorities should be if additional funding is available. The county executive also toured the and precincts Tuesday and planned to visit the Woodlawn, Pikesville and Franklin precincts and the Eastview and Garrison fire stations Wednesday.

“As a county we have focused our resources on crime fighting tool, which was the right decision,” Kamenetz said. “But we are also aware that we need to explore facility upgrades in the future so that our department as the best possible tools at their disposal.”